Woman arrested on suspicion of stalking John Cusack

Andrew BlanksteinLos Angeles Times Staff Writer

A woman who showed up Sunday outside John Cusack's Malibu home -- despite a restraining order barring her from approaching the actor -- was arrested on suspicion of stalking, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said Monday.

Deputies were called to the 24000 block of Malibu Road about 7 p.m. Sunday after a cab driver reported that a passenger was refusing to pay a fare for a ride to that area.

As deputies approached the scene, they were flagged down by Cusack, who told them that he recognized the woman in the cab and that she had been stalking him.

Emily Leatherman, 33, was booked on suspicion of felony stalking, violating a restraining order and petty theft. Leatherman, who was booked at the Malibu-Lost Hills station, was being held in lieu of $150,000 bail, said sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore.

"She was arrested and had violated a previous restraining order taken out against her by Mr. Cusack," Whitmore said.

Cusack, the star of "Runaway Jury," "High Fidelity," "Grosse Pointe Blank" and "The Grifters," told authorities that to his knowledge the woman had not been on his property Sunday.

"Apparently, Mr. Cusack flagged down one of our deputies and told him that this woman had been stalking him," Whitmore said. He said deputies recovered evidence at the scene that led to the arrest but declined to elaborate.

A year ago, Leatherman was arrested outside the Beverly Hills home of Tom Cruise, also on suspicion of violating a restraining order.

In filing for his restraining order, Cusack accused Leatherman of throwing over his fence a bag containing love letters, rocks and screwdrivers. Sheriff's officials confirmed that in the latest incident Leatherman threw a bag onto Cusack's property, but they declined to say what it contained.